September 2019 Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2019

RALPH WILSON YOUTH CLUB Official Newsletter for the Board of Directors of RWYC

School Term Launches The 2019-20 School Term is in full swing at RWYC. RWYC is hosting 365 kids as a part of the after school program. These children come from our local communities of Temple, Belton and Academy. Thanks to a partnership with Temple ISD, RWYC is able to transport kids from all of these communities to the state of the art facility located in the T-MED of Temple. Focused on the club’s Pillars of Excellence, students get access to a curriculum focused on Academics, Fine Arts and Athletics.

This issue: School Term Launches Johnson Brothers Ford donates truck to RWYC FOCUSED on SAFETY Grande Communications awards RWYC grant Jay Battershell donates time to RWYC Hoops Huddle partnership adds value to RWYC Beginner cooking class teaches the basics Beauty is in the eye of the beholder Growth trend continues with volleyball RWYC manages transportation issues

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Johnson Brothers Ford donates truck to RWYC Johnson Brothers Ford, under the leadership of Lacy Adams, donated a 2018 Ford F-150 truck to RWYC to support the club’s mission of providing high quality programs to the children of the Greater Temple community.

The donation represents the second vehicle donated to the club in recent years. Johnson Brothers previously donated a 2011 Ford F-150 to the club. The pick up truck enables the club to transport the 'RWYC Rig' from the club to various business locations across town. This operation spearheads RWYC’s mission of community outreach via the famous RWYC Burgers that are produced on the ‘RWYC Rig’ made famous by former executive director, Charlie Kimmey. The contribution represents a nearly $20,000 donation from Johnson Brothers.

FOCUSED on SAFETY RWYC has implemented a Guardian Pick Up card that is provided to guardians of all members. The purpose of the card is to provide an added level of security for the guardians of members. The card is required to be shown by parents when picking up their child from RWYC. Safety of our members is the top priority. Staff will continue to explore additional ways to implement safety measures to protect our members.

Staff members have also commenced the process of completing a series of training classes aimed at increasing awareness and preparedness in the event of various emergencies. Active shooter training is being attended by staff members at Texas A&M Central Texas. In lieu of recent activities across the country, this training is of extreme importance to ensure the club is prepared to respond if the situation arises.

Staff members are also undergoing CPR and First Aid training the week of September 2—6. With the recent decision to eliminate a nurse during the school term, staff is working to make sure we can still service our members within reason in the event of a minor accident that requires immediate attention.

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Grande Communications awards RWYC grant RWYC received notice from Grande Communications that the club has been awarded a grant in the amount of $1,350. The grant is made possible through the employee Grande Cares Club. The program is designed to assist Grande’s neighbors who are most in need.

The grant is unrestricted and can be utilized by RWYC for any purpose the club deems appropriate. The funds are being designated to go towards funding Chromebooks for the Academic Center of Excellence. The entire Chromebooks initiative requires funding in the amount totaling $6,000. If you are aware of any business or individual that may be interested in helping this initiative, please have them contact Academic Director Lynnsay Macey at lmacey@rwyckids.org.

Jay Battershell donates time to RWYC The power of the RWYC brand continues to manifest itself through the generous donations of time and fiscal resources that the club continues to receive. McLane Intelligent Solutions CEO Jay Battershell has agreed to donate his time and energy to support RWYC’s software upgrade. Mr. Battershell is working closely with staff to ensure that RWYC conducts a comprehensive analysis of all software options and has a full understanding of the true costs associated with the transition. It is people like Mr. Battershell that help ensure RWYC continues to be the flagship in the area when it comes to youth facilities.

Hoops Huddle partnership adds value to RWYC RWYC has partnered with The Vista Community Church to offer the Hoops Huddle program at the club. Hoops Huddle is a free, weekly basketball and life skills program for kids in grades 3—8. The highly energetic program focuses on helping youth discover their significance in the world and improve their basketball skills. The program’s goal is to share the life transforming story of Jesus Christ with kids and their families through the game of basketball.

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Beginner cooking class teaches the basics The Academic branch of RWYC has launched a series of cooking classes for members. The program is designed to introduce members to basic elements of cooking. The Intermediate Class focused on the following elements of cooking: · Washing your hands before cooking · Identifying a teaspoon and a tablespoon · Reading a recipe · Measuring ingredients · Pouring ingredients · Cleaning while you cook The Beginner Cooking Class focused on teaching the newcomers to the kitchen how to spread using a butter knife. Members practiced spreading by making Ants on a Log which entailed utilizing celery, peanut butter, raisins and buttered toast.

Engaging members with the basic elements of cooking will provide them with a solid foundation to build upon for their future cooking years. Our club is equipped with a high quality kitchen and it is great that our Academic Director is implementing programs to engage our members and utilize our resources.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder The Fine Arts branch of RWYC continues to challenge our members with a variety of activities that allow our kids to showcase their creative minds. It is not uncommon to find our club kids creating watercolor bubbles or a unique abstract drawing.

The Fine Arts Director does an excellent job of personally engaging our members and assisting them in finding their creative inner spirit!

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RWYC manages transportation issues In the midst of a major shortage of bus drivers across the region, RWYC has managed to identify the problem and fully staff our transportation team. RWYC now has four licensed bus drivers on staff. The ability to staff our transportation team is at the core of our success.

Failure to be able to transport kids from schools to RWYC would cripple our operations.

A big thanks is owed to Sam Jones for coordinating our transportation program that includes training, route approval, maintenance and scheduling.

RWYC by the #s

2019 RWYC Transportation Team Sam Jones Cody Hannon Joey Hogan Jeff Stegall Charlie Kimmey Patricia Weston Linda Price Mike Hannon

Fiscal Notes for the period of August 19—August 30 Credit Card Transactions—$17,683 Cash/Check Transactions—$13,338.31 Total Transactions—$31,021.31 Cash/Check Transactions 43%

Cash/Check Trans 43% Credit Card Transactions 57%

Credit Card Transactions 57%

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